The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-03-12
COAL AND BUILDING STONE.

Discoveries Made In Investigating the
Mineral Wealth of the state.
We have carefully read the report of
Prof. Kost, appointed to make a geologi-
cal survey of the State, and find very
much in it that is interesting and valua-
BILE. We copy below what he has to say
on the subject of coal and building stone.
He says:
The presence of coal in the deposits of
our State has long been problem, and
perhaps no other question has been so
frequently put during the brief time of
the present work, as this Have you
found coal!' 1t has been very desirable,
therefore, that a solution to this might
be soon brought about, and at length il
has come. Coal is present. OF course it
can only be expected to be of the soft
brown or Ignite variety. No other
would probably exist in any tertiary
deposit.
In the very last excursion made before
the going to the printer of this report, |
found a vein of coal i'm Santa Rosa coun-
ty, located at a distance of less than one
mile north of Milton and near the west
bank Of the Blackwater river. The en-
tire thickness of this vein is about thirty
inches, but the upper surface is percO-
lated by clay to some extent. which
damages it somewhat.
But for the fact that most persons
would expect to find coal To appear in
cubic forms, or at least somewhat solid,
it is very certain that this deposit would
have been discovered earlier by the Citi-
zens, who doubtless have noticed the
black belt extending all along either side
of a deep recent excavation of some con-
siderable extent into the bluff. The tex
ture of tertiary coal was not known
doubtless, and SO the problem of coal in
Florida escaped solution for a longer
time than would else have been the case
No one would have supposed that the
heavy trains on one of the Pacific X. II.
were propelled over the Rocky Noun
tains with just such a coal as this.
But the discovery above has as vet
alone been made. No one knows how
much coal there is in this deposit nor
whether there are other deposits. New
ertheless we may indulge a fair pros
pect. The coal is found, and as tertiary
coal exists in various other localities, and
in no inconsiderable quantity: it may be
so in Florida. The outcrop of this de-
posit. along both margins of this gulch,
Is 10 to IL rods, and the vein is horizon
| tai. 1t probably extends to a consider
able distance and breadth. The depth
Of the vein below the common surface is
only about 3 feet. Ii lies high above
| water level of the river. Doubtless
| other deposits of coal will now be found.
BUILDING STONE.
A great many inquiries from contrac-
| tors and others have been made of me
since the work began. to know whether a
substantial building stone has been found.
| No answers entirely satisfactory have
yet been afforded, and yet there are
rock materials for building purposes in
various parts of the State.
In Wakulla county there is a FINEST one
! Of some consistence and durability.
| This admits of dressing. and doubtless
will be of value. In Jackson county an
/ abundance of an arenaceOus limestone
reposes near the crests of the hills on
either side of the Chipola river. which
has been for years taken from the quar-
ries by saving. which is easily effected be-
| cause Of the softness of the material while
reposing in the beds. This rock is of a
porous texture. and is liable To imbibe
| moisture; but what may appear singular
| the rock is respectfully durable, as is evil
| denced by the structures in Mariana,
| the capital of the county. The walls Of
the old Union Bank building and some
others were built entirely of this rock
some forty years ago, and are now in a
good state of preservation A large pro
| portion of the chimneys, habitually con-
| structed ON the exterior of houses, are
made of this material. and 1 am in
| formed that a chimney has never been
known to fall by disintegration or crack
ing, though in use many years.
| / observed In Mariana the chimneys
Of large house, consumed by fire, that
now stand firm rs monuments of the
power Of resistance this rock has against
the effects Of moderate heat Still, it
is to be observed that as the cementing